The subject matter herein relates generally to connector assemblies that are configured to communicatively couple different communication components through at least one of electrical and optical connections.
Some communication systems, such as servers, routers, and data storage systems, utilize connector assemblies for transmitting signals and/or power through the system. Such systems may include a midplane circuit board, a motherboard, and a plurality of daughter cards. The systems may also include one or more connectors attached to the motherboard that are configured to interconnect a daughter card to the motherboard when the daughter card is inserted into the system. The daughter card includes a receptacle assembly that has a mating face configured to engage a mating face of the connector. The receptacle assembly is generally positioned on or near a leading edge of the daughter card. Prior to being mated, the mating faces of the receptacle assembly and the connector are aligned with each other and face each other along an insertion axis. The daughter card is then moved along the insertion axis until the mating faces engage and the connector and receptacle assembly are mated.
However, in some cases, it may be desirable to mate the receptacle assembly and the connector by moving one or both in a mating direction that does not coincide with the insertion direction. By way of one example, the receptacle assembly may be on a surface of the daughter card and face a direction that is perpendicular to the insertion direction, and the connector may be on the motherboard/bridge card and also face a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction. In such a case, it may be difficult to properly align and mate the receptacle assembly and the connector. In addition to the above, other examples exist in communication systems where it may be difficult to properly align mateable connectors.
Accordingly, there is a need for a connector assembly that facilitates interconnection of communication components when the insertion direction (e.g., the direction in which the daughter card is inserted) is different from the mating direction (e.g., the direction in which the connector moves to engage another).